Platelet-Rich Plasma in Alopecia Areata—A Steroid-Free Treatment Modality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

Abstract

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic autoimmune condition that can lead to a serious deterioration in patients’ quality of life. The first line of treatment in patchy AA is triamcinolone acetonide (TrA); however, the efficacy of the treatment varies greatly. Our aim was to investigate the therapeutic effects of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of AA. Method: We performed a systematic literature search in four databases. Randomized clinical trials (RCT) reporting on patients with AA treated with PRP were included, comparing PRP with TrA or a placebo. The primary outcome was the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score. Results: Our systematic search provided a total of 2747 articles. We identified four studies eligible for quantitative analysis. The pooled mean differences from the four studies did not exhibit a significant difference in the mean change in the SALT score when PRP and TrA groups were compared (MD =−2.04, CI: −4.72–0.65; I2 = 80.4%, p = 0.14). Conclusions: PRP is a promising topical, steroid-free treatment modality in the therapy of AA. No significant difference was found between PRP and TrA treatment; however, further high-quality RCTs are needed to further assess the efficacy of PRP treatment and strengthen the quality of evidence.

Keywords

• alopecia areata
• patchy alopecia
• platelet-rich plasma
• treatment
• topical